Foreign venture capital funds increase Japan investment 70%

TOKYO — Overseas venture capital funds are stepping up investment in Japanese startups, spending nearly 70% more on the year in the January-June period as geopolitical tensions make China a less attractive target.

VC investment by overseas players totaled 22.5 billion yen ($152 million) in the first half, up 69%, according to startup information site Speeda. The figure accounts for roughly 20% of total VC funding in Japan, including those by domestic investors.